What is a flap in surgery in head?
What Is A Free Flap? Microvascular free tissue transfer is what is commonly referred to as a “free flap”. It is a complex reconstructive surgical procedure that allows for the transplantation of tissue from one part of the body to another.
How is free flap surgery done?
“Free flap,” also known as “free tissue transfer,” is a term for a procedure in which tissue and its blood supply (artery and vein) are surgically removed from one part of the body and transferred to another area of the body for the purpose of reconstruction.
How long does a scalp flap take to heal?
Wounds that extend into only the dermis can heal in 2-3 weeks, whereas wounds that extend into the subcutaneous fat can require an additional 1-3 weeks to heal. Wounds that extend into deeper layers of the scalp, including the aponeurosis, loose areolar tissue, and periosteum, can require 6-8 weeks to heal.
How long does a flap surgery take?
The tiny blood vessels in the flap, which will feed the tissue of your new breast, are matched to blood vessels in your chest and carefully reattached under a microscope. DIEP flap reconstruction surgery takes about 6 to 8 hours.
What is the difference between flap and graft?
How does a flap differ from a graft? A flap is transferred with its blood supply intact, and a graft is a transfer of tissue without its own blood supply. Therefore, survival of the graft depends entirely on the blood supply from the recipient site. Flap surgery is a subspecialty of plastic and reconstructive surgery.
What is microvascular free flap?
The terms free flap, free autologous tissue transfer and microvascular free tissue transfer are synonymous terms used to describe the “transplantation” of tissue from one site of the body to another, in order to reconstruct an existing defect.
Can a free flap be used after head and neck surgery?
The success of using a free flap in reconstruction after head and neck cancer surgery is 95-98 percent. The goal of the reconstructive surgeon is to return the patient to a state where they can enjoy eating, swallowing and speaking.
Who is the chief of free flap surgery?
Dr. Mourad has extensive training in the highly specialized field of free flap surgery, as well as head and neck reconstruction. Currently, he serves as the Chief of Head & Neck and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery at the James J. Peters Hospital in New York City.
What kind of skin can be used for a free flap?
The commonly used free flaps include: forearm or thigh skin (thin skin that can be used to rebuild the inside of the mouth and throat), muscles from the abdomen or the back, and fibula bone (bone on the outer side of the leg). The success of using a free flap in reconstruction after head and neck cancer surgery is 95-98 percent.
Is it safe to have microvascular free flap surgery?
Free flap surgery microvascular is a highly complex and rigorous surgery that often requires a skin graft. Despite their complexity, free flap surgeries are among the safest and most effective head, face, and neck surgeries. What To Do Before Your Surgery